American Branch

American Branch

Dr. John P. Sullivan
PhD in Information and Knowledge Society

John P. Sullivan was a career police officer, now retired. Throughout his career he has specialized in emergency operations, terrorism, and intelligence. He is a Senior El Centro Fellow at Small Wars Journal and Contributing Editor at Homeland Security Today. He served as a lieutenant with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, where he served as a watch commander, operations lieutenant, headquarters operations lieutenant, service area lieutenant, tactical planning lieutenant, and in command and staff roles for several major national special security events and disasters. Sullivan received a lifetime achievement award from the National Fusion Center Association in November 2018 for his contributions to the national network of intelligence fusion centers. He is also an adjunct researcher at the Vortex Foundation in Bogotá, Colombia. He completed the CREATE Executive Program in Counterterrorism at the University of Southern California and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government form the College of William and Mary, a Master of Arts in Urban Affairs and Policy Analysis from the New School for Social Research, and a PhD in Information and Knowledge Society from the Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3) at the Open University of Catalonia (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya) in Barcelona. His doctoral thesis was “Mexico’s Drug War: Cartels, Gangs, Sovereignty and the Network State.” His current research focus is the impact of transnational organized crime on sovereignty in Mexico, Brazil, and other countries.

The functions, responsibilities, or operations of each regional branch within the International Police Science Association (IPSA) include the following:

  1. Enhancing Regional Collaboration:
    The regional branches actively encourage collaboration among members within their respective regions. This involves facilitating the sharing of best practices, research findings, and resources to strengthen the network and promote the exchange of knowledge and expertise.
  2. Organizing Regional Conferences and Events:
    Regional branches are responsible for organizing conferences, seminars, workshops, or other events that focus on specific regional issues, challenges, and advancements in the field of police science. These events provide valuable opportunities for networking, knowledge sharing, and regional engagement within IPSA.
  3. Promoting Research and Publications:
    The regional branches encourage and support research activities specific to their regions. This may include conducting regional case studies, analyzing regional crime trends, and producing publications that address the unique challenges and needs of each region. These research findings can contribute to the broader knowledge base within IPSA.
  4. Facilitating Training and Capacity Building:
    Regional branches play a crucial role in facilitating the development and delivery of training programs and capacity-building initiatives within their regions. This involves identifying specific skill gaps, emerging trends, and regional priorities, and organizing relevant training opportunities for members to enhance their professional capabilities.
  5. Establishing Regional Task Forces or Working Groups:
    The regional branches may establish task forces or working groups to address specific issues or areas of interest within their regions. These groups can focus on topics such as community policing, cybercrime, counterterrorism, or any other regional concerns identified by the members. The task forces can undertake research, develop strategies, and propose solutions to address regional challenges.
  6. Ensuring Regional Representation:
    Each regional branch has adequate representation within the IPSA governance structure. This allows for regional perspectives, concerns, and interests to be effectively communicated and considered in the decision-making processes of the Association. Regional representatives should actively participate in IPSA’s meetings, committees, and other relevant activities.